Friday, August 10, 2018

Dunn-Kempf

Last week Dave and I got together and hatched a scheme that we might just be able to pull off. We were looking for a modern rules set to host a WWIII game at a future convention. We tried a few engagements out with a handful of BMP-1s, T-72s fighting against another handful of BMPs and T-72s.

We ran through 3rd Generation Warfare, Battlegroup: REFORGER, Team Yankee, and a few others. While all of them were fine in their own right, none of them were really unique. Our big question to answer? What might be a worthy experience to bring to a wargaming convention? Enter Dunn-Kempf.

How about the US Army's tried and true training "game" that saw innumerable spin-off games born from its simple principles of fire and movement? "If you can be seen, you can be hit. If you can be hit, you can be killed." Dunn Kempf was itself born from the old WRG "modern" rules but was simplified so Soldiers could easily grasp the lessons it taught - mainly to move out of sight of the enemy, to utilize cover, concealment, shrewd fire planning, reconnaissance, and ATGMs to "win the first battle of the next war." While none of the mechanisms in DK are unique to a grognard, playing the game using the percentage to-hit and percentage to-kill will be a worthwhile experience and show the Soviets as a thinking and very dangerous foe with no shortage of artillery batteries to plaster German hillsides.

You can read more about Dunn Kempf here. Suffice to say, Dave and I are going to host a DK battle at a future HMGS convention, but with a little twist. The forces will be West German fighting Soviets! (I'll explain that in a later post). You can download a free QRS for Dunn Kempf that has most of the rules in it here. [you will have to log in to board game geek with an account but it's well worth your time!]

Dave will be working up the Bundeswehr troops. I'll be working up the Soviet troops, and here is a little teaser:

I echo the OOORAAA!I've seen these and always wanted to have a go. Closest I came was reading through the Candaian inspired 'Contact' (which I think is similar). There's a also a British set from the 50/60s. I'm not sure if all of the officers involved, collaborated whilst in Europe, but really looking forward to these games.

(It would be inspiring to think that these guys played games during ReForGer exercises, when everyone else was involved with 'hurry up and wait :) .

Cheers Darren. Rather than offer DK as something unique in terms of its mechanisms., i thought it would be appropriately nostaligc for all involved and want players to think exactly that what you mentioned - that in the not so distant past, officers and NCOs were using DK to train for war.

Darren / Don,We have a ways ahead before the game is run, but we I think it is fair to say that Steve and I definitely have the energy to make it a bit of good fun for the players come Con time! Both the admin and logistics portions of hosting the game are progressing at a good clip.

Truth! Lots of stuff to do getting ready. I plan on releasing a bunch of blog posts on that very topic, including calculating the To Hit To Kill values, OOBs, map, terrain, and scenario, as well as all the vehicle preparations.

Wow, that takes me back. I regret the loss of those old training aids with the advent of Janis and the follow on digital tools. One of my favorite memories of the old Fort Knox was that they used to sell GHQ Minis at clothing sales. Those were long gone when I got a chance to go back in 2009.

Glad you were able to reminisce about the good old days! For this project, we are going to use the JANIS data to help derive the West German forces using the JANIS to hit to kill information but converting to DK values (11 to 66). Im going to do a whole blog post about it!

A long time ago, a unit i was in used the GHQ micro armor to rehearse tank table VIII prior to our field exercises or ranges. The TC would move the tank down range and the whole crew was there to rehearse their actions. That was 1998. Good stuff!!